Rail-bond.



I of Boston, county of Sui-folk, State of Massa-l 'UNITED vsrArns PATENT OFFICE.

I FRANK D. MASTERSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORY'TO CHASE-SHAWMUT CO., OF BOSTON,l MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATroN oF MAINE.

RAIL-Bono;

T0 all wiz/0m, t may awww/72,.

Be it known that I, FRANK D. MAsTERsoN,

chusetts, have invented an Improvement in Rail-Bonds, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

Rail-bonds of the type comprising several vlayers or iiat strips of copper secured together at their ends, but disconnected along their intermediate portions, are quite largely used, being usually soldered 4to the rails. The intermediate portion of the 'rail-bond is bent in diverse ways, according to circumstances and conditions, and is intended to be suffilcientlyilexible or extensible to provide for the 'expansion and contraction of the rails and also for any other movement of the rails relative to eachother.

In practice it has been found thatwhen the end of one of the rails is considerablyl higher than the end of the adjoining rail and a wheel passes quickly over the two rails the intermediate portion of the rail-bond is so 4violently and suddenly extended or otherwise moved that the outermost layer or strip becomes separated more or less from the remaining layers or strips, and as this action is repeated said layer or stri gradually becomes distorted, and then t e next layer or strip likewise becomes separated from the remaining layers or strips and becomes distorted, and so on, and as a result the rail-bond iinally becomes a source of great trouble. Furthermore, in some instances the intermediate portion of the rail-bond occupies a po- .sition so close to the adjoining end of the rails as to contact therewith, andin such case said intermediate portion is injured by the burs, fins, or other forms of projections which frequently extend laterallyfrom the ends of the rails. Such rail-bonds are also liable lto injury from various other causes.

This invention has for its object to provide this type of rail-bond with means forholding the several layers or strips comprising the intermediate portion in proper relative posi` tion, so that they cannot become separated and subsequently distorted in the manner described, andalso to provide a protection against injury from 'other causes.

The invention consists in a rail-bond comprising several layers or fiat strips secured to- Spccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 2,1905, Serial No. 280,884.

Patented Dec. 1,8, 19o6.`

gether at their ends and disconnected along their intermediate portion and a band passed around the intermediate portion of the rail- .bond, which is attached to one of the layers or strips-as7 for instance, to the outermost layer or strip-thereby permitting free sliding movement of the several layers or strips relative to each other, yet holding them coniined suiiiciently to provide against undue separation.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a rail-bond having means embodying this invention for holding the layers or strips composing the intermediate portion thereof against undue separation, .yet permitting free movement thereof to a certain extent. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the rail-bond, taken on the dotted lines 2 2, Fig. l'. l

The rail-bond herein shown is composed, essentially, of several layers or strips a, of copper, attached together at their ends and disconnected along their intermediate portions, thereby producing a iiexible or extensible intermediate ortion between the points of attachment of t e rail-bond. Around the intermediate portion of the rail-bond a band b ispassed, the'ends of which are secured by solder or otherwise to one of the layers or strips-as, for instance, to the outermost layer or strip, as at b-said band being disconnected from all the other layers or strips. The band t does not embrace the intermediate portion so tightly as to bind the layers or strips together sufficiently to prevent free sliding lmovement of its several layers or ystrips relative to each other, and therefore several 'layers or strips composing said intermediate portion from undue separation and also protects them from injury incident to engaging burs, fins, or other projections which extend laterally from the adjoining ends of the rails. i

IOO

It is obvious that the band may bevapplied Having thus described my invention, What i their undue separation, substantially as de- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letscribed. ters Patent, is- In testimony whereof I have signed my A'rail-bond having an eXtensible intermename to this specification in the presence of 5 diatedportion composeddof bsevral lisoontWo subscribing witnesses.

necte layers or stri s an a an em racing y T said intermediate piirtion Which is attached FRANK D' MASTERSO1\" to one of said layers or stripsL permitting a Witnesses: sliding movement of the several layers or L. H. HARRIMAN, ro strips relative to each other but preventing H. B. DAvIs. 

